Drew Brees book discusses 2006 flirtation with Miami Dolphins

Those still wondering how history might have been different had Drew Brees chosen Miami instead of New Orleans when he was a free agent back in the spring of 2006 are offered some first-person insight into that situation in Brees’ new book, Coming Back Stronger, which he co-wrote with Chris Fabry.

In Peter King’s most recent Monday Morning Quarterback column on SI.com, he passes on the details on Brees’ conversation with then-coach Nick Saban when the two discussed the possibility of Brees coming to Miami. King calls the episode “the most enlightening” aspect of the book.
Excerpted from King’s column:

Brees had significant interest on the table from the Saints. But he wanted to find out if Saban had the same faith in him that (Sean) Payton and Mickey Loomis had in New Orleans.

Brees' book cover

So Brees picked up the phone and called Saban, who told him the Miami team doctors believed Brees had a 25 percent chance to come back and be the same quarterback, or better, that he’d been before the shoulder surgery.

According to the book, Brees said to Saban: “Coach, I know what your doctors believe about me. My question is, what do you believe?”

Wrote Brees: “Nick Saban paused. That was really all I needed to hear. His pause told me everything. ‘Well, Drew,’ he said, ‘I would still love to have you, but I have to trust what our medical people are saying …’ He went on from there, like he was reading from a script. But I was starting to tune out. By then I had all the information I needed. I had made my decision.”

Brees told Saban thanks, and he’d be going to New Orleans, even though telling Saban that might kill his negotiating position with the Saints.

As Brees told me, “The impression I get from the Dolphins was I should feel lucky they were even looking at me. It just wasn’t a welcoming feeling.”

It’s difficult to be too hard on Saban for missing on the guy who right now stands alongside Peyton Manning as arguably the best two quarterbacks in the NFL. Brees is short for an NFL quarterback (6 feet), was coming off major surgery and Saban had to rely on his doctors.

Still, when you consider the succession of quarterbacks that played the next two seasons in Miami — Joey Harrington, Daunte Culpepper, Cleo Lemon, Trent Green and John Beck — you have to think Saban should have had a little more faith. Either that or a better medical staff.